Fiat Chrysler plans to stop selling diesel-powered passenger cars by 2022 according to the Financial Times, which reported insiders as saying that the company will unveil its four-year strategy in June.

The plan follows a drop in sales of diesel vehicles after the fallout from Volkswagen’s emissions scandal that saw the German maker admit it installed a ‘defeat device’ to help diesel cars test cleaner than they really were.

In Australia, FCA brands Jeep, Maserati and Alfa Romeo offer diesel-powered vehicles, though it's reported that the Wrangler will continue to offer a diesel option in the US. FCA Australia has been contacted for comment.

In Germany, Spiegel.de reports that BMW may have used software to manipulate the emissions performance of six-cylinder diesel engines used by the 5-Series and 7-Series sedans.

The manufacturer reportedly denied that the programming constituted a “defeat device”, and that it only came into play when exhaust systems were not working properly.

BMW Australia has been contacted for comment.

Following the Volkswagen Group’s emissions scandal that triggered stricter rules from lawmakers and a shift in preferences from carmakers and their customers diesel sales have declined.

Porsche has at least temporarily stopped production of diesel engines, and Mercedes-Benz is reportedly under investigation for using diesel emissions software capable of running in what German newspaper Bild Am Sonntag describes as a "dirty mode" in many driving environments.